<p>I have recently been admitted to the University of Virginia, and I think that it is important to continue the Turkish culture in the university as well… Of course it is important to mix with other cultures as well which I am very excited of doing yet I believe we shouldn’t forget where we came from</p>
<p>By the way, I LOVE Istanbul!!! It’s one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s like the best amalgamation of Europe and the Middle East. It’s very traditional and yet modern and foreward thinking. I was very surprised that so many people spoke English so well - even the peddlers on the street. I was there a couple of years ago to attend the wedding of a fellow UVa grad from Turkey. The wedding was gorgeous and took place on a mountain ridge overlooking the Bosphorus. It was my first Muslim wedding (and the first time I’ve ever seen gold ingots being given as a gift. Man, gold bricks are heavy, yo!)</p>